Poppy

I turned away from my squabbling sisters in the car, crossing my arms and resting my head against the cool window. Drops of condensation were beginning to form on the windows and I checked my phone for the time.

06:13 am

Dad had taken the whole family on a surprise savant training trip to a mud ridden field in the middle of the outskirts of London. My night had consisted of rolling around in the grass attempting to block my sisters kicks and punches. I would've taken my chances sleeping in the same bed as Tristan if it meant that I could've got out of that terrifying situation.

I had never been the athletic one.

A text alert buzzed my phone and the tired grumpy family all turned around to stare at me.

'sorry, jeez' I croaked out.

Tristan Benedict: So last night was fun;) x

I sighed, remembering the quickest way to get an unwanted boy to stop texting you, not even bothering to question how he had my number.

Poppy Wood: Orange mobile are sorry but the numbre you have contacted is unreachable. If you have any further questions please contact us via email.

That should do it.

Tristan Benedict: Nice try, you misspelt number ... and I'm not with Orange

That was when things got awkward in the car.

'So who are you texting Poppy?' My dad questioned me from the front.

I groaned internally, never being the best liar.

'um, I'm not actually texting, just playing a game.'

He hmmd to himself before saying 'good game?'

'Not really. Kind of shit actually.'

My mother chimed in, 'language Poppy. God why do you have to be so fucking difficult to keep under control.'

And she wonders where I get my filthy mouth from.

Silence filled the car once more and I flicked my phone onto silent to prevent my Father realising I was still texting.

Poppy Wood: smarter guys have fallen for it ...

Tristan Benedict: I guess you must have underestimated my supreme intelligence then;)

Making a noise of disbelief, I quickly pretended to have a coughing fit as my Father began to look interested again.

Poppy Wood: You're wasting my credit. Fuck off.

Tristan Benedict: You kiss your mother with that mouth?

A strange feeling was settling in the pit of my stomach so I decided to end the conversation.

Poppy Wood: No seriously I don't wanna talk to you. Take a hint and delete this number.

The cruel text didn't seem to help, now I just felt bad for being so harsh.

Tristan Benedict: See you soon beautiful 3

not that that seemed to dishearten him ...

I grabbed my dance bag and ran out of the door to the house, eager to reach my abandoned warehouse as I had already missed two hours practice. Because of my poor performance in training I had been forced to clean up the entire house for guests who were coming over that night. It was growing dark so I decided to risk the chance of being caught and flew ten blocks. My gift can be handy sometimes. Landing on the pavement clumsily I stumbled into the road by accident and just avoided being run-over by a drunkard singing the national anthem.

God bless Great Britain.

I prepared myself to use all my energy in the opening of the door, placing my hands gingerly on the handle and leaning my body weight against the wooden panes when a voice spoke out from behind me.

'You know, for a dancer you're not very strong.' His lilting accent made me sigh in annoyance and I spun around on my heels to glare at him.

Daddy was right when he told me three years ago that lust is for a moment but blood is for life. I had to remember that. I couldn't lose my family and be left with a person I could never trust. He was a stranger who Biology had chosen for me. My mother and Father and my sisters were my own flesh and blood.

I readied myself for flight.

'Goodbye Tristan.'

Tristan

Just as she was about to take off I grabbed onto her delicate wrist and pulled with all of my might. She had some serious mind strength but it was no match for my physical power and she ended up grounded once more.

She stared me straight in the eyes and growled in a low voice, 'Let. Me. Go.'

She was beginning to make me angry by that point.

I smirked down at her, using my height to my advantage.

'No.'

That was when she passed out again.

Just reaching her in time to catch her head before it collided with the ground I struggled to remember the recovery position from my first aid training sessions. Luckily her eyes fluttered open almost as quickly as they had closed and as her face gradually returned to its delicate ivory colouring I pulled her up into my arms and placed her on a nearby bench.

Clearly able to read the concern etched on my face she sighed, closing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

I shuffled my feet around on the floor and her eyes snapped open.

'Fine.' She huffed, her pouted mouth highlighted by the dim street lights. 'Ask me.'

'Do you want me to take you to a hospital?' She looked surprised, her vans scuffing the floor as she swung her legs onto the bench and crossed them.

'To do what?'

I lifted my eyes to hers and crinkled my eyebrows together, worried she might have received concussion even though her head had not hit the ground.

'To see what's wrong with you.'

She cast her eyes down to the ground and spoke quietly. 'I already know what's wrong with me.'

I was about to tell her she didn't have to say when her voice became stronger. 'Can we talk about this over a coffee?'

Poppy

So there I was, sitting in costa with the very person who I was supposed to be avoiding, sipping a piping hot late to give me some energy to explain why kept fainting every time he saw me. Lifting my eye level to his, I found that Tristan was already gazing at me and felt my cheeks flush red, always having disliked attention.

I coughed awkwardly and glanced back down at my coffee cup.

'Insomnia.'

His eyebrows raised questioningly and I pushed my empty mug away from me. 'I can't sleep.'

He smirked at me, 'I know what insomnia is. Why do you have it?'

I faltered 'Becau ... I don't know.'

'You're a terrible liar, Poppy.' His smirk grew wider as he saw me glance away from him.

I had nightmares. They varied from time to time, between my Dad abusing myself and my Mother and the terrifying visits from savants I had received when he had discovered my gift last year. But there was no way I was sharing this with Tristan. There was no way he was discovering the chink in my steel coat.

'It doesn't matter. Look you've been really kind, but I have to go. My Dad expects me home around 11 every night and it takes half an hour to walk from here.' His expression darkened as I said this but he slid off his seat just the same.

'Let me walk you.' I scoffed at his presumptuousness and slipped my coat on.

'Poppy you passed out on the sidewalk less than fifteen minutes ago. I'm not letting you walk for half an hour through a bad neighbourhood. I'm not leaving you.'

I sighed and rolled my eyes, stalking out of the door knowing he would be right behind me. I walked ahead of him for five minutes, trusting that they were the sound of his footsteps following me and not a stalker. As we reached a darkened street corner I fell behind in pace, spooked unnaturally by the absence of light. The street lamp must've popped recently but I was unwilling to show Tristan how afraid of the dark i really was.

Unfortunately I was not anticipating an unlit street ahead of us and as a i rounded the corner I ground to a stop glancing around for a source of light when there was none. I heard a chuckle just behind me and covered my mouth with my hand to stop from screaming as Tristan's voice whispered in my ear.

'Not afraid of the dark are you?'

A shiver fell down my spine as my eyes adjusted slightly to the change in lighting and I realised I had taken a wrong turn and we were lost.

'Dammit Tristan.' I cursed and turned to kick the wall just behind me. That was not my cleverest idea, and as I yelped in pain I could just see a smirk forming on his face.

AN: Heyyyyyy :)))) so I hope you liked it:DD sorry I haven't updated in ages, but remember to Follow me and Favourite me also hit me with a review pleeease ... not literally though ... don't actually hit me ... yeah. xox